13.0°C > 11.0°C: Started with vicious rain squall. Cleared after 07:00 with a light shower and increasing sunny spells. Strong and gusty SW abated to fresh. Good visibility, excellent later.
Sunrise: 07:09 GMT
* = a photo today.
Priorslee Lake: 05:49 – 09:24
(238th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- The resident Mute Swans have excellent eye-sight. I first noted two potential visitors flying towards the lake as distant specks in my binoculars. The residents were already in to threat posture. The visitors stayed less than five minutes.
- One of the drake Gadwall was not located.
- Two drake Pochard gone – probably to The Flash (q.v.)
- As yesterday the lake was covered in gulls by 06:00 and they may have roosted here. They were continually disturbed by passing Grey Herons and a Buzzard flying to and fro. As best I could judge there were >500 Black-headed Gulls and >400 Lesser Black-backed Gulls. All but one of the Lesser Black-backs had departed by 07:15.
- Black-headed Gulls were, as usual, coming and going all the while.
- By 09:00 there were at least 165 Lesser Black-backs and a sprinkling of Herring Gulls with a lone adult Yellow-legged Gull on the water.
- In the strong wind departing gulls were circling around to gain height. It was difficult to separate these from fly-over birds. The number recorded as flying over is likely to be an under-estimate.
- In addition to the main groups of Jackdaws passing a small group of just 10 birds decided to have a rest, stopping off in trees at the W end for a few minutes. Unusual behaviour.
- 21 Starlings seemed to come from a roost somewhere in the SE part of the lake. It is just possible they were early over flying birds from a nearby roost. Soon after just three singles left the NW reeds.
- The first Pied Wagtail was heard overhead at the remarkably early time of 06:05 while it was still both dark and raining hard
Birds noted flying over / near here:
- 8 (2+♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 (?♂) Goosanders
- 2 Cormorants
- 2 Common Buzzards
- >40 Lesser Black-backed Gulls (see notes)
- 1 Herring Gull
- 2 Feral Pigeons: duo
- >450 Wood Pigeons: c.415 of these in six migrant parties SW
- >360 Jackdaws
- 51 Redwings: eight groups
- 6 Starlings (together)
- 17 Pied Wagtails
Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake:
- 24? Starlings (see notes)
- 3 Fieldfare
- 17 Redwings
- 9 Reed Buntings
Counts from the lake area:
- 4 + 5 Mute Swans: two adult visitors, very briefly
- 7 (4♂) Gadwall
- 9 (5♂) Mallard
- 6 (5♂) Pochard
- 38 (>>18♂) Tufted Duck: 15 of these were unsexed birds that flew off W in two groups before 06:30
- 4 Cormorants: two singles and a duo arrived
- 2 Grey Herons
- 2 Little Grebes
- 13 Great Crested Grebes
- 6 Moorhens
- 104 Coots only
- >500 Black-headed Gulls (see notes)
- >550 Lesser Black-backed Gulls (see notes).
- 8 Herring Gulls: two adults; one third-winter; two second-winters; three first-winter birds
- 1 Yellow-legged Gull: adult
- 1 Kingfisher
Playing fields.
Not visited
Priorslee Lake: 05:49 – 09:24
(238th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- The resident Mute Swans have excellent eye-sight. I first noted two potential visitors flying towards the lake as distant specks in my binoculars. The residents were already in to threat posture. The visitors stayed less than five minutes.
- One of the drake Gadwall was not located.
- Two drake Pochard gone – probably to The Flash (q.v.)
- As yesterday the lake was covered in gulls by 06:00 and they may have roosted here. They were continually disturbed by passing Grey Herons and a Buzzard flying to and fro. As best I could judge there were >500 Black-headed Gulls and >400 Lesser Black-backed Gulls. All but one of the Lesser Black-backs had departed by 07:15.
- Black-headed Gulls were, as usual, coming and going all the while.
- By 09:00 there were at least 165 Lesser Black-backs and a sprinkling of Herring Gulls with a lone adult Yellow-legged Gull on the water.
- In the strong wind departing gulls were circling around to gain height. It was difficult to separate these from fly-over birds. The number recorded as flying over is likely to be an under-estimate.
- In addition to the main groups of Jackdaws passing a small group of just 10 birds decided to have a rest, stopping off in trees at the W end for a few minutes. Unusual behaviour.
- 21 Starlings seemed to come from a roost somewhere in the SE part of the lake. It is just possible they were early over flying birds from a nearby roost. Soon after just three singles left the NW reeds.
- The first Pied Wagtail was heard overhead at the remarkably early time of 06:05 while it was still both dark and raining hard
Birds noted flying over / near here:
- 8 (2+♂) Tufted Duck
- 4 (?♂) Goosanders
- 2 Cormorants
- 2 Common Buzzards
- >40 Lesser Black-backed Gulls (see notes)
- 1 Herring Gull
- 2 Feral Pigeons: duo
- >450 Wood Pigeons: c.415 of these in six migrant parties SW
- >360 Jackdaws
- 51 Redwings: eight groups
- 6 Starlings (together)
- 17 Pied Wagtails
Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake:
- 24? Starlings (see notes)
- 3 Fieldfare
- 17 Redwings
- 9 Reed Buntings
Counts from the lake area:
- 4 + 5 Mute Swans: two adult visitors, very briefly
- 7 (4♂) Gadwall
- 9 (5♂) Mallard
- 6 (5♂) Pochard
- 38 (>>18♂) Tufted Duck: 15 of these were unsexed birds that flew off W in two groups before 06:30
- 4 Cormorants: two singles and a duo arrived
- 2 Grey Herons
- 2 Little Grebes
- 13 Great Crested Grebes
- 6 Moorhens
- 104 Coots only
- >500 Black-headed Gulls (see notes)
- >550 Lesser Black-backed Gulls (see notes).
- 8 Herring Gulls: two adults; one third-winter; two second-winters; three first-winter birds
- 1 Yellow-legged Gull: adult
- 1 Kingfisher
Playing fields.
Not visited
On / around the street lights etc. pre-sunrise
Nothing
Noted later:
- two very different fungi on the same tree-stump:
- Sulphur Tuft (Hypholoma fasciculare)
- Candlesnuff Fungus (Xylaria hypoxylon)
- two very different fungi on the same tree-stump:
- Sulphur Tuft (Hypholoma fasciculare)
- Candlesnuff Fungus (Xylaria hypoxylon)
Looks almost tranquil. An hour ago it was lashing with rain accompanied by strong and squally winds.
This looks to me like a cob with the large swelling at the base of the bill.
I certainly cannot see any rings.
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(223rd visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- The two Pochard likely the two 'missing' from the lake.
- Tufted Ducks hard to census as many were continually diving.
Birds noted flying over / near The Flash:
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 2 Jackdaws again
Counts from the water: best effort in the rain
- 3 + 7 (1 brood) Mute Swans
- 22 Canada Geese
- 34 (20♂) Mallard
- 2 (2♂) Pochard
- 124 (?♂) Tufted Duck
- 27 (3♂) Goosanders
- 1 Grey Heron again
- 2 Great Crested Grebes again
- 5 Moorhens only
- 36 Coots
- 146 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls: adult and first-winter together, briefly
On the lamp poles:
Nothing
On / around the Ivy:
- 1 possible Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus) - not seen well.
- >100 Common Wasps (Vespula vulgaris)
- very many 'flies'
Of interest elsewhere:
- active Honey Bees (Apis mellifera) at their nest site.
- 2 Grey Squirrels
Fisherman's Friend – not! A quartet of Goosanders on the hunt. The leading bird is clearly an immature with the white streak leading toward the eye. I wonder whether this why the brown head is a slightly paler tone or whether it is just slightly different angle of light?
- 1 possible Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus) - not seen well.
- >100 Common Wasps (Vespula vulgaris)
- very many 'flies'
Of interest elsewhere:
- active Honey Bees (Apis mellifera) at their nest site.
- 2 Grey Squirrels
Rather cute.
(Ed Wilson)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On this day
2019Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2018
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2014
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here
2012
Priorslee Lake
2 Gadwall
7 Pochard
Kestrel
Little Grebe
Sparrowhawk
(John Isherwood)
2011
Priorslee Lake
4 Yellow legged Gulls
(John Isherwood)
2010
Priorslee Lake
36 Pochard
85 Tufted Ducks
4 Lapwings over
c.200 Starlings roosted at W end
53 Wood Pigeons
249 Fieldfare
14 Redwings
7 Siskins
1 Redpoll
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
Little Grebes
17 Pochard
57 Tufted Ducks
1 drake Ruddy Duck
c.170 Golden Plover
1175 Wood Pigeons
1 Kingfisher
16 Pied Wagtails
22 Wrens
10 Dunnocks
27 Robins
22 Blackbirds
298 Fieldfares
8 Song Thrushes
24 Redwings
1 Mistle Thrush
69 Starlings
12 Chaffinches
33 Greenfinches
11 Goldfinches
1 Redpoll
5 Bullfinches
9 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)
2005
Priorslee Lake
Adult Arctic Tern
172 Redwing
9 Pochard
47 Tufted Duck
Siskin
Redpolls
7 Reed Buntings
Kingfisher
(Ed Wilson)